Do you believe in God?

[zombiexxlicker]

Any God, any monotheistic faith at all. Why do you believe in him? I've been thinking for a long time about God and how he's great and compassionate and kind. I mean, I'm not very old and I don't know much about religion. I've been to church a few times.. and when I'm there I feel inspired and holy and all that good stuff.. But I feel like.. Were mindlessly taught what to believe by our parents. I'm scared to admit that I don't believe in God, which I'm still struggling with, in fear that something bad will happen to me in case he does exist. I'm just really confused on the whole thing. Anyone wanna help me out here?

[thy secret]

I won'y push on you my beliefs, but i will tell you that you should pick your own road. If you believe your parents won't approve, then don't tell them.

Being scared to admit you might be atheist i guess is understandable. You may believe that there may be a higher power, and your just not comfortable with that, which is completely understandable.
One question though, how old are you?

[Sergeant Pancakebatter]

I do not.
To address your fear, my own response to my same question as a child was if a god that was truly compassionate and kind existed, would such a god punish me eternally for honestly not believing, not out of spite or any negative reaction, just simply not believing. I came to the conclusion that if such a god existed it would have compassion and understanding for my way of thinking. It wouldn't judge me based on non-beliefs but the content of my character. If not, it is not a god I would want to worship anyway, but that is just me. I do not wish to change your mind about anything, I just wish to voice my experiences in the case it might help you come to your own conclusion, in either direction

[Zackminime]

Do you have a Bible available to you? Why don't you try and read some for yourself and see what you believe? Isn't that how any belief starts? I'm not very knowledgeable either but the entire religion of Christianity can be found in the Bible. So if you want to make an educated decision about weather or not you believe in God instead of just listening to whatever some one else tells you than what better way than to read from the source, talk to some christian and not christian friends, and than make an educated decision? Besides, like you said, you're young. Take the time to think and study such a huge decision like religion. I made the decision to become a christian a long time ago and I am still learning new things about my faith. But no matter good or bad I have never once regretted the decision I made. With some time I hope you can come to a place in you're life where you don't have to regret you're choices either. smile Good luck, and I'll pray for you if you'd like. smile

[zombiexxlicker]

Thankyou for everyone who replied, I actually do have a bible and am reading it. Though I was still really indecisive. I guess it's just complicated when your parents teach you one way and your teachers show you another.

[Zackminime]

im assuming you're a teenager right? im am and i know what it's like to have very different ideas then you're parents. but you know something that i've learned? i've learned that even if you completely set religion aside there are some morals that remain standing on their own. like respect, love, honor, and peace. try and have patients with you're parents. they may not be perfect, and at times you may not even be able to tell, but i bet they love you and are struggling to find the best way to parent you. two of my sisters are married with kids and i've had to see a glimpse of what its like to be a parent and i promise you, it's probably the hardest job i've ever known! try to make you're own decisions but even though i don't know your parents i do know that any hard job deserves a little respect. they were just kids under their own parents roof once too, right? they may not be as different from you as you think.

btw if my comments seem at all offensive to any one i am deeply sorry sad i mean to help not cause arguments smile

[Moogly Moogly Moo]

There's no reason to be scared.
Just don't be a dickhead in life, and if there turns out to be a God then what have you done wrong? wink

[Midichlorian]

No need to be confused. Just make sure you don't get forced into Christianity or any other religion, your choice.

I don't believe in god.
I believe there is something out there but not some powerful god.
"God" annoys me quite frankly. So many innocent people die everyday of starvation and other things.
I've had some Christians say to me "God chose them first to go to the throne". Oh? So is this god so bloody fantastic that he's allowed to take one's LIFE?
I have strong opinions about the Christian god. All these rules. "Go to hell if you don't believe, your choice". How noses get stuck up at homosexuals.

However, I like Buddhism but I wouldn't really class it as a religion. Not in a insulting way, just by the fact that I don't find it... fitting into the religion category. It's more of a way of living.

[Trollzors Vader]

Why should you be afraid to truly question something you yourself said you seriously doubt is anything more than blindly believing in a myth. I can say with absolute certainty, ever god concept I've researched does not exist. I can say this because I had the common sense to actually question the lies I was taught, do some research, and become smarter for it.

[mikeskiboshski]

I am on the fence on the belief in “a God and/or multiple gods.”

The way that I see God is the way that makes the most sense to me. I see God as a manifestation of morals that I hold strongly. I see God as a spiritual force in our minds that is ultimately, myself, because I am the only one that truly know what lies in my conscious mind ,and I myself am the only one responsible of my reactions.

I picked this belief also as an excuse to not classify myself into a religious category. I refuse to blindly pray to something that has no theoretical proof to whether it exists or not. In my honest opinion, God would be ashamed of established religion. Religion uses fear and mind control to capture the will of the follows and instills beliefs and ideologies that are, in the end, the choice of the individual. I’m not saying the followers of a religion are inferior; it is their choice, and I have no right to judge their choices. But, why do we have to pray and pay our churches to show our faith. Churches should be our minds, not separate entities.

[The Catfish Blues]

Only a pantheistic god.

[Kannonm]

This is a difficult subject for many people that see through the clouds of religion. Often times, one's parents are firmly indoctrinated in the dogma of their faith and find their own child not sharing that same religion reprehensible.

In your particular case, you need to evaluate just how central religion is in their life. Do they go to church out of a genuine desire to be instructed about their faith, or do they go for social reasons? Do they often make reference to the deity of their chosen religion in their every day lives? Do they automatically have a negative opinion of anyone that does not share their religious views?

If your parents are not strongly religious, you can talk to your parents about it. If they are, it may cause problems within your family to reveal it, and it may be best to keep it to yourself until you are older and have the knowledge and life experience to back up your reasoning should you choose to reveal how you feel later.

Regarding your fear of God and the afterlife, someone else already put it pretty well. Would you want to worship a supposedly all loving being that would send you to hell based upon an honest disbelief supported by a complete and total lack of evidence?

[Social Republic]

Why just monotheism? Why not polytheism, pantheism, autotheism, etc?